The Fall of Dachau

This book is written, in part, to commemorate one man's contribution to the war effort. According to historians, on April 29th, 1945, Second Lieutenant Heinrich Wicker surrendered the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau to the American Army. Yet, the day before, Wicker had surrendered to a Swiss army officer, a member of the International Red Cross: Victor Maurer. The conditions of that surrender and the role played by Victor Maurer will, for the first time, now be revealed. Secondly, this book is a remembrance of those who had to face the darkest side of human nature. As George Santayana admonished us: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." We painfully recall the atrocities of the Auschwitz-Birkenau, Buchenwald, Flossenb rg, Mauthausen-Gusen, Theresienstadt and Dachau concentration camps as telling reminders, so future generations will not have to suffer a similar fate. Thirdly, we want to acknowledge the bravery, tenacity and determination of the human spirit. Victor Maurer would carry the emotional scars of his experiences from the concentration camps for the rest of his life. The memory of what he saw was so implanted in his psyche that he would never find peace. We also wanted to celebrate the compassion that Switzerland has always shown for the oppressed. The Swiss people were appalled by the Nazi's cruelty toward and suppression of the innocent, the helpless and the unfortunate victims of society. Even with their stance of neutrality, the Swiss have always extended themselves as great champions of humanitarianism. Finally, we wanted to explore the significance of the porcelain figurine known as the Amazon Diana, Goddess of the Hunt that long remained in the family. From such a dark period for mankind, came a stunning piece of art symbolizing beauty and strength unmarred by all the ugliness and despair at the time of her creation. And the missing sword that she once wielded, it seems only fitting that she no longer needs it by her side.